aiesec: how to organize a train the trainer

HOW TO ORGANIZE A TRAIN THE TRAINERS CONFERENCE

� The following pages are an overview of how to plan and execute a successful TtT.

� Spring 2014

� Prepared by:�National "

Trainers Team

2 © Duarte, Inc. 2014

KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN THE PLANNING PROCESS

� The NTT:

� The team responsible for overseeing all TtT’s:

� Your interaction with the NTT is limited aside from the initial planning stages.

� The NTT Coordinator will be the main touch-point for the facilitators. Any logistical concerns that may affect session flow or agenda can be directed towards them.

Your extended team.

� Facilitators:

� Communication and collaboration is key:

� Talk with your facis ahead of time to set expectations with each other. Determine how you can best support them before and during the conference. Building trust with the facis ensures a seamless experience for the delegates.

The Host LC:

� Your go-to for hosts, support, and materials.

� Your LC is the biggest support in the planning process, from knowledge of campus buildings and classrooms, to lending cars for last-minute trips.

� Be sure to promote TtT internally to your LC so that you can recruit enough hosts and extra hands during the conference.

� Your OC team:

� Form a good relationship and work ethic early on!

� Your OC team should be 2-3 members who are highly dedicated and can work with tight deadlines. Be sure each member is prepared to take on their fair share of work.

� As OCP, you can determine your own OC selection process.

Communication with all these stakeholders will make your job easier!


LOGISTICAL CONSIDERATIONS

� Duration & Dates The Train the Trainer conference lasts from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon. The facilitators will arrive Thursday afternoon or evening.

Below are a few key pieces of information to consider as the Organizing Committee.

� Application Process A typical session of TtT has 6-10 delegates and 2 facilitators.

� For delegates to become a member of the National Trainers Pool, the application process is run by the NTT. All delegates, even those from the hosting LC, must apply through Podio.

� OC Team The preparation work and communications with the Faci team and NTT can be handled by one person. Regardless, we recommend having 2-3 OC members for support and to help with logistics and setup throughout the conference.

� Costs A TtT should cover its costs for materials, food, and room reservation fees. Roughly $50 per delegate should cover costs for the weekend, but your OC should create a budget to ensure your LC doesn’t make a loss.

� Organization Remember to keep track of all receipts and bills incurred from the conference. The OC is responsible for finances, collecting delegate fees, and budgeting.

4 © Duarte, Inc. 2014 4 © Duarte, Inc. 2014

Before the�conference

+ Podio

+ Accommodations & Hosting

+ Promotion

+ Sponsorships

+ Delegate mailer

+ Shopping list 01


PODIO

� Registration

� Include key information, such as dietary restrictions, arrival and departure times, etc. Make an easy link to payment forms. See here for a sample.

To keep track of all the information you need access to, be sure to create a Podio space!

� Contact information

� Collect contact information for you OC team and facis. You can also keep a list of key contacts at the university, restaurants, etc…

� Materials Requests

� Set a non-negotiable due date, roughly 1 week before the conference, to collect material requests from facis.

� Budget

� Creating a budget helps determine the delegate fee and keep costs in check. Find a sample template on Podio.

� Agenda

� The NTT and facis should have an agenda on hand that they can upload. Add locations once rooms have been booked.

� Host List

� Keep a list of your hosts, their delegates, contact information, and addresses.

� References

� Consolidate documents such as this guide, the delegate mailer, and promotional materials.

� Other

� You’re not limited to these apps – be sure to create your own based on your needs!


ACCOMMODATIONS & HOSTING

� Delegates & Facis:

� Hosting Delegates: You should host together delegates of the same gender and similar arrival time, so you can send them to their host at once. Try to host at least 2 delegates in each location.

� Hosting Facis: It’s best if the facis are sharing the same host so they can continue prep work as needed. Ideally, they should stay somewhere close to the TtT venue.

Location is especially important for a TtT due to the highly collaborative nature of the conference.

� About Hosts:

� Who to have as hosts: The best hosts are members of your LC who are also attending the conference. It makes it easy to escort delegates to and from the venue.

� If the host is not attending TtT, consider if they will be able to take their delegates to and from the venue every morning and evening.

Here is a sample hosting application.

� .

� Getting Around:

� Directions: Set clear, explicit directions for delegates on how to get around the campus (especially for out-of-LC delegates).

� Arrival times: It’s important to know delegates’ arrival times so you know where and when to meet them. If they come directly to the venue, have a set place for their luggage.

� Tips:

� Distance: It would be ideal to host all the delegates in one apartment/dorm, or in the same building. Since there is “homework,” delegates will need to collaborate after sessions. If this isn’t possible, try to get delegates within walking distance of each other.


PROMOTION

� Announcements on national and regional Facebook groups is an effective way to advertise TtT opportunities.

� Promotion materials should be simple, concise, and contain graphics.

� Most people will already know what a basic TtT is: promotion should focus on awareness of the TtT dates/deadlines and the intended target delegates.

�  You can ask your Regional Chair, the NTT, or an MC member to assist you in encouraging people to apply.

� Enlist the help of your LCP, RC, or MC if you’re on a short timeline.

� Be clear about application deadlines, Podio links, and who to contact with questions.

� If you don’t have the information to answer a question, don’t hesitate to direct them to an NTT member!


SPONSORSHIPS

“Overall, sponsorship was a huge part of the success of the conference.”

� Local businesses, office supply stores, and restaurants close to your university are a great resource for providing discounts and free materials. Past conferences have found businesses to be generous to university students regarding non-monetary sponsorships.

Your pitch can include a description of the event and mention AIESEC’s non profit status (with tax exemption forms, found on Podio).

Call as many restaurants as possible just to ask about free food and group discounts. For example, bakeries will give free leftover goods, or your local Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts might donate free coffee.

For help on sponsorships, an OC for any type of AIESEC conference will have experience or advice they can share.


DELEGATE MAILER

The delegate mailer is key for conveying information before the conference.

� The following information should be included in the delegate mailer, to be sent roughly a week before the conference:

•  Directions to the venue or meeting points (by car, by public transportation from airport, or by train, for out-of-LC delegates and facis)

•  Host information: contact information, address

•  Packing list: sleeping bag/blanket, electronics, etc…

•  Agenda

•  Contact information of the OC


SHOPPING LIST

� Session Materials

� As with all conferences, you will need to purchase the following materials for sessions. Some materials you may already have on hand in the LC. Be sure to consider renting free electronic equipment from the university, such as USBs, extension cords, adapters, projectors, speakers, microphones, etc…

� Food

� Make sure someone on the OC has access to a car at all times to make last-minute runs, pick up food, and drive extra food back home.

Materials List Grocery List

Butcher paper ($) or Flipcharts ($$$) Cups

Markers, Pens, Pencils Plates

Post-it notes Cutlery, serving utensils

Envelopes Water bottles

String ~15 bottles of soda

Tape, Scissors Tea

Other faci material requests Fruit, snacks, chocolate


During the�conference

+ Venue

+ Set-up

+ Food

+ Social events 02


VENUE

� Cultivate a strong relationship with the venue manager and contact him with every change and request promptly.

� The room should comfortably fit all delegates + facilitators (8-12 people) that feels intimate, but large enough to move around or split up into groups when necessary. If anything, err on the side of having a room that’s too big, rather than too small. Talk with the building manager so that you are able to keep session materials, posters, and flipcharts overnight.

� You should also book a smaller, adjacent room for meals to offer a seamless experience. Make sure it’s okay with the building staff that you will be serving food in these rooms.

� When looking for venues, consider the following:

•  Access to (free) printing centers for emergency print jobs.

•  Noise level and traffic from other groups using the spaces around you.

•  Open and close times of the building, in case sessions run over or if you need to unlock a building early in the morning (get a key in advance, if possible).


ROOM SET-UP

� Set-up for the main conference room can be done by facilitators on Friday morning, while the OC is in charge of arranging a separate room for meals and snacks (2 rooms necessary for smooth transition). If you have the time and materials, be sure to bring in the conference theme to the room (and conference in general).

Below is a diagram of how to configure the main conference room.

Projector Screen

Projector

10 chairs – semi circle

Table of creative materials


FOOD

� The OC is responsible for setting up (30 minutes beforehand) and clearing away food. Due to the tight agenda of TtT, you cannot always expect delegates to help you clear away their food.

� Mealtimes are very essential for an intense conference such as TtT. It would also be nice to surprise your delegates with special snacks! Splurge on coffee and caffeinated beverages if you need to.

� Don’t forget to consider dietary restrictions! Over-order for these needs and make sure they are clearly labeled.

� On the right are some meal suggestions:

Plan to cater for 6 meals: 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners. Fast, simple food works best, and if possible look for sponsorships (especially for breakfasts and coffee!)

Don’t forget to provide snacks, water, and coffee throughout the conference.

Meal Plan Friday Saturday Sunday

Breakfast � --- � Bagels, pastries, yogurt, coffee/tea

� Bagels, pastries, yogurt, coffee/tea

� Lunch � --- � Sandwiches, chips, drinks

� Sandwiches, chips, drinks

� Dinner � Pizza, soda � Burritos � ---

� Breaks � Goldfish, oreos, bagels, peanut butter, apples, oranges, soda, juice

Surprise snacks are always awesome! Try fun treats such as ice cream sundaes or smoothies.


SOCIAL EVENTS

� After you’ve captured your team’s ideas around topics and established a rough story flow, spill all your thoughts on the page. Don’t hold back; it doesn’t have to be fully formed yet. Simply pour out everything that comes to mind. Usand information that you can choose from in the next step. You’re also speeding past the mental blocks that can keep you from capturing your best ideas.

� Gauge the mood of your delegates in deciding whether or not to have a social event.

� Delegates tend to be tired after traveling on Saturday, and may not want to participate. If it’s the case, be accommodating!


� All in all it was incredibly rewarding to be the OCP of an awesome conference.

� The pros were getting to be in direct contact with the MC and Facis and getting close with my OC. The cons were that, because our conference was so small, it was difficult to involve the OC in any of the sessions so it is doubly important that the OCP make sure to have a lot of fun with the OC.

�  Make sure to add small but important touches to transform the conference experience from something average to something incredibly unique.

–  Neha Shingane �  OCP, Georgia TtT 2012

� Photo: Copyright 2010 Steve Jurvetson Source: http://drte.co/qa

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QUESTIONS?

� If you need further support, contact the NTT members below:

Cassie Gianni NTT Coordinator

[email protected]

Kristen Hwang Regional Training Coordinator

[email protected]

� Special thanks to:

•  Neha Shingane, for her OCP guide from TtT 2012

•  Elena Zhdanova, for Germany’s TtT OC guide

•  Hanne Ockert-Axelsson, for providing TtT resources

aiesec: how to organize a train the trainer

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